For one thing, the Red Sox would have the most dominating pitching staff in baseball.

Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Halladay. Add the mix of Dice-K, Tim Wakefield, John Smoltz and the best bullpen in the majors, and Boston would have the most lethal pitching staff from No. 1-12.

Yet, this trade would not make any sense for Boston to make.

This is a crazy thought, right?

The one thing that the Red Sox organization prides itself on is the depth of the minor league system. Boston owns one of, if not the best, minor league system in baseball.

To get Halladay would mean emptying the core of the prospects Boston has.

At the very least, Boston would have to surrender any combination of Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Lars Anderson and Casey Kelly. It’ll most likely take three of these players plus more to receive the best pitcher in the American League.

But Halladay is 32 years old and has a contract expiring after the 2010 season.

Is it worth trading stud prospects for a pitcher who probably has three to four more good years left in him?

No.

It’s always a risk to lean on your top-tiered prospects as a potential "savior" to your team.

Can Buchholz mature as the next top Boston pitcher? He sure had problems last season.

Bowden and Kelly be mentioned in the same breath as Buchholz? Or are they the next Robinson Checo and Brian Rose?

With Anderson, do you have the next Mark Teixeira, as everyone is comparing him to, or the next Pat Dodson?

There is always the risk, but Theo Epstein and his minions sure have hit more home runs than strike outs with the development of their prospects.